You Have Helped Us Soar Past Our Goal
You did it! We will soon be back to full strength. We needed $16,000 to reach our goal of $26,000 for the new x-ray system. You have given $19,000. The new x-ray system is scheduled to be installed the last week of September. Words cannot adequately describe how grateful we are. Surplus funds will be used to construct a new flight pen for bats, hummingbirds, songbirds and very small raptors. (not simultaneously of course :-)
The Smoke Is Finally Beginning To Clear
Fall is approaching and business is slowing down. There were 12 new admissions this past week, including two Swainson’s Hawks, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Barn Owl, an Eared Grebe, an assortment of songbirds and another Painted Turtle. On Sunday, we even saw the sun!
Eared Grebe 17-536
The dense smoke may be the reason an Eared Grebe landed in a backyard near the Umatilla River in Pendleton. Grebes are migrating now. They sometimes mistake rain drenched roads, mud puddles, or in this case, a sprinkler soaked lawn, for a larger body of water. They need to run across the water in order to get airborne. We released this one at McKay Reservoir, the perfect place to take a break on the way south and a great runway too.
Anna’s Hummingbird 17-537
This hummingbird was found in Walla Walla. We aren’t sure why it has trouble flying. There seems to be a problem in the shoulders. Sometimes it can make it up to a high perch, but most of the time not. It is eating, however, so hopefully tincture of time will work its magic. Anna’s Hummingbirds are normally found on Oregon’s west side, although they have been known to over-winter in eastern Oregon and eastern Washington. This is a youngster, so perhaps there is a breeding population too.
Painted Turtle 17-544
This Painted Turtle managed to fall into a swimming pool. We released him at McNary Wildlife Refuge.
And Thank You So Much Again
We can’t wait to show you what our new x-ray system can do!
